Big issues for small feet: developmental, biomechanical and clinical narratives on children's footwear

Morrison, Stewart C.; Price, Carina; McClymont, Juliet; Nester, Christopher

doi:10.1186/s13047-018-0281-2

Cited by 30 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 76 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The variability of shoe advice from health professionals may be challenging for parents [17, 18]. Previous studies have described optimum foot development occurring in a barefoot environment with the primary role of shoes being to protect the foot from injury [3].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of shoe flexibility on gait, pressure and muscle activity of young children. A systematic review

Cranage

Perraton

Bowles

et al. 2019

Journal of Foot and Ankle Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundThere is limited evidence of shoe impact in younger children, particularly in the context of immature gait patterns. It is unclear if the impact from shoes in younger children is similar to what has been seen in older children. This systematic review aims to identify any impact of shoe features on younger children’s gait, and if there are any differences between shoe sole flexibility compared to barefoot.MethodsStudy inclusion criteria included: typically developing children aged ≤6 years; comparison of barefoot and shod conditions (walking and/or running) with shoe features or style of shoe described; sample size > 1. Novelty types of footwear were excluded, as was any mention of in shoe support or modifications. Studies were located from six databases. Study methodology was assessed using the McMasters critical review form. Sample size weighted standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.ResultsFour studies were included. Participant age ranged from 15.2 to 78.7 months, with 262 participants across all studies. All studies had limited methodological bias based on their design type. Compared to barefoot walking, shoes increased velocity, step time and step length. Shod walking decreased cadence. Peak plantar pressure was generally lower in the stiff shoe design and there was a higher peak plantar pressure in the Ultraflex shoes. No studies were found investigating muscle activation.ConclusionsShoes affect younger children’s gait in spatiotemporal gait aspects, similar to those seen in older children. There is limited evidence on effects of particular shoe features such as sole hardness, on gait, and no evidence of any changes in muscle activation patterns. Further research is required to evaluate the impact of different types of shoe and shoe features in this population to provide clinical advice on the type of shoe that is appropriate in this age group.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of shoe flexibility on gait, pressure and muscle activity of young children. A systematic review

Cranage

Perraton

Bowles

et al. 2019

Journal of Foot and Ankle Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Respondents reported difficulties with standard footwear accommodating orthotic devices (e.g., ankle–foot orthoses) leading to poorly fitting shoes. Appropriate footwear choices through the lifespan are important to protect the feet as well as provide support for the body during functional activities (Morrison et al, ), and these data add to an existing concern. Previous work in a sample of 50 children with Down syndrome identified that poorly fitting footwear was a source of pain and associated with increased levels of foot‐specific disability (Lim et al, ) and reduced physical activity levels (Shields et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The functional effects of foot problems are equally complex with gait changes (Galli et al, ) resulting in complex biomechanical movement characteristics which requires careful consideration during clinical consultation. Footwear has an important role in supporting the foot during weight‐bearing; yet, findings suggest that footwear problems are a frequent concern in children (Kennedy, McGinley, Paterson, Ryan, & Carroll, ; Lim et al, ; Morrison, Price, McClymont, & Nester, ; Prasher, Robinson, Krishnan, & Chung, ). Poor footwear fit can affect gait and balance (Kennedy et al, ; Wegener, Hunt, Vanwanseele, Burns, & Smith, ) and has been reported to be associated with increased levels of foot‐specific disability in children with Down syndrome (Lim et al, ) and reduced physical activity levels (Shields et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foot care needs for children and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Morrison

Barrett

Haines

2019

Brit J Learn Disabil

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Accessible Summary• We asked parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities to complete a survey to help us understand more about the foot problems their children have experienced.• Parents told us that foot problems were common in their children, 75% of the parents raised this as a concern. Less than half of the parents felt confident with managing these problems. Buying shoes was considered difficult.• The results from this survey tell us that foot problems in children and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are a concern. It is important to ensure that children have access to foot care services. AbstractBackground: Foot problems have been reported to be a very common health issue in adults with intellectual disabilities; foot problems in children and young people are, however, poorly understood. The aim of this study was to explore foot care needs of children and young people with intellectual and developmental disability.Methods: An exploratory, cross-sectional online survey was undertaken across a four-month period. A purposive snowball sampling approach was adopted. The survey tool was piloted before launch and comprised three sections. The first section elicited information relating to parent/caregiver status, diagnosis, secondary diagnoses and age of child/young person. The second domain explored foot care and sought to obtain information about foot problems, access to health services and existing knowledge about foot health. The third domain focussed on footwear. Ethical approval was granted from the host institution, and all participants provided electronic consent before completing the survey.Results: Data were collected from 49 parents/parental caregivers reporting on behalf of their children (mean age 7 years of age; SD 4.5 years of age). Parents reported foot problems to be very common (75%), and pes planus was the most frequent concern (51%). Twenty-four parents reported difficulties with finding shoes (48%). A mismatch between foot shape and the shoe (30%) or complications with orthotic devices (14%) within the shoe were highlighted. Conclusion:The results demonstrated that the burden of foot problems in children and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is considerable. The findings highlight the importance of access to foot care services for these children. | 5 MORRISON et al.

show abstract

“…Humans have historically worn footwear for protection while walking [5]. However contemporary footwear choices are complex and influenced by a range of factors including financial, social and cultural pressures [6]. Interestingly, there is limited understanding about the effects of footwear choices on biomechanical factors that may influence foot development, and the emerging gait patterns of toddlers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soft soled footwear has limited impact on toddler gait

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The development of walking in young toddlers is an important motor milestone. Walking patterns can differ widely amongst toddlers, and are characterised by unique biomechanical strategies. This makes comparisons between newly walking toddler’s and older children’s walking difficult. Little is currently understood regarding the effects of footwear on the gait in newly walking toddlers. A quasi-experimental pre-post study design was used to assess whether spatiotemporal parameters of gait, and in-shoe foot and lower limb kinematics, differed when walking barefoot and in soft-soled footwear in newly walking toddlers. There were 18 toddlers recruited, with 14 undergoing testing. The GAITRite system collected spatial and temporal data. The Vicon camera system collected kinematic data. The testing conditions included barefoot and footwear. Footwear tested was a commercially available soft soled shoe (Bobux XPLORER). Data was extracted directly from the GAITRite system and analysed. Walking in footwear did not change spatial or temporal data, however there were small but significant decreases in hip adduction/abduction range of motion (mean difference (MD) = 1.79°, 95% CI = -3.51 to -0.07, p = 0.04), knee flexion (MD = -7.63°, 95% CI = 2.70 to 12.55, p = 0.01), and knee flexion/extension range of movement (MD = 6.25°, 95% CI = -10.49 to -2.01, p = 0.01), and an increase in subtalar joint eversion (MD = 2.85°, 95% CI = 5.29 to -0.41, p = 0.03). Effect sizes were small for hip and ankle range, peak knee extension, and subtalar joint ranges (d<0.49), medium for knee flexion/extension range (d = 0.75) and large for peak knee flexion (d = 0.87). The magnitude of kinematic changes with soft-soled footwear were small thus the clinical importance of these findings is uncertain. Future longitudinal studies are needed to develop recommendations regarding footwear for newly walking toddlers.

show abstract

Big issues for small feet: developmental, biomechanical and clinical narratives on children's footwear

Cited by 30 publications

References 76 publications

The impact of shoe flexibility on gait, pressure and muscle activity of young children. A systematic review

The impact of shoe flexibility on gait, pressure and muscle activity of young children. A systematic review

Foot care needs for children and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Soft soled footwear has limited impact on toddler gait

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About